A greater prairie chicken eyes its competition during an early morning lek. It was an unforgettable experience to trek across a dry marsh before dawn and see these rarities at first light.
Wintering sandhill cranes gather to feed and socialize on a harvested corn field in late afternoon at the Bosque del Apache NWR. While not as gregarious as snowgeese, socializing such as seen here is an important part of their daily lives. I liked the light from the setting sun, and the chaos and dust created by the cranes for a pleasing scene.
An western grebe chases after rivals in the course of courting. This was part of a larger group that had gathered in the morning to feed and socialize. Grebes tend to move away from humans and I was lucky to find a group that were comfortable around me.
